High Sheriff of Norfolk joins Neatherd High School’s “No Crime Day” in Dereham

Norfolk’s High Sheriff, The Countess of Leicester, visited Neatherd High School in Dereham to take part in a “No Crime Day”. She is pictured presenting a plate to Will Styles, the governor of Norwich Prison.

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The High Sheriff of Norfolk visited a Dereham school to take part in an event aimed at helping Year Nine students understand the criminal justice system, and the risks of drifting into crime.

The Countess of Leicester was at Neatherd High on Wednesday for the school’s “No Crime Day”, delivered by Norfolk Partners Against Crime Taskforce (PACT).

The programme, which has been delivered in Norfolk since 2008, is supported by agencies including the police, the probation service, magistrates and Norwich Prison.

Watched by students at a morning assembly, Lady Leicester also presented a plate to Norwich Prison governor Will Styles, in recognition of the support the prison service has given to the “No Crime” initiative this year.

The countess said: “Young people are our future and it’s always a great pleasure to be able to work with them and their school. It’s encouraging to see how all the agencies are working together to do everything they can to make sure young people do not end up in the criminal justice system by making the wrong choices.”

Norfolk PACT is a crime reduction charity, formed in 1997, with the goal of preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system.

Maths teacher Hannah Cordle, who co-ordinated the event, said: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the organisations who volunteered to support the day’s activities.

“It provided our young adults with extremely useful information about how to keep safe and healthy, covering the spectrum of personal security, e-safety and first aid. In all, it was an informative and fascinating experience for our students.”

Ken Williams, chairman of Norfolk PACT, said: “Norfolk PACT is particularly proud of this programme and we are always grateful to all who support us. The prison service contribution is particularly poignant and always has a major impact on the young people.”

Chief Constable Simon Bailey added: “Prevention is always the best option when it comes to crime. The constabulary welcomes any opportunity to be part of a programme that is both informative and challenging and aims to prevent young people from getting caught up in the cycle of offending.”